NA Chairman hosts Francophone leaders in Can Tho

These activities were part of the APF Executive Committee meeting and he Francophone Parliamentary Forum on sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change adaptation, hosted by the Vietnamese National Assembly.

During his meeting with Caroline St-Hilaire, Chairman Tran Thanh Man highlighted the significance of her visit as a demonstration of the OIF’s and her personal commitment to Vietnam’s role and position. He expressed confidence that the visit would open new opportunities to advance cooperation between Vietnam and the Francophone community.

Emphasizing the global challenges, particularly those faced by Francophone countries, such as climate change, the Vietnamese NA leader underscored the importance of sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate action response as priorities for developing nations. He noted the vital role of parliaments and parliamentarians in dealing with these challenges through legislative efforts, socio-economic development strategies, and the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Man called on the OIF to further enhance collaboration with the Vietnamese NA and facilitate the exchange of expertise and experience among parliamentarians, especially in promoting sustainable development and sharing scientific knowledge. He also urged the OIF and Caroline St-Hilaire to ramp up economic and trade cooperation, trilateral initiatives, and South-South partnerships, particularly in agriculture.

Acknowledging Vietnam’s achievements in agriculture, she hailed the country’s effective implementation of South-South and trilateral cooperation projects with many Francophone nations in Africa. The Chairman also sought continued OIF support for French language education, fostering entrepreneurship in French, and leveraging French in sustainable tourism development. Additionally, he proposed specific cooperation projects, such as capacity building for young and female parliamentarians.

Caroline St-Hilaire expressed her appreciation for the warm welcome extended by the Vietnamese NA and commended Vietnam’s proactive role in the OIF. She thanked Vietnam for hosting the APF Executive Committee meeting and the forum on sustainable agriculture and climate change adaptation. She acknowledged Vietnam’s significant economic achievements and its exemplary role in sustainable agriculture and food security.

She announced that the OIF plans to conduct a trade and economic survey in Benin in June and hoped that Vietnamese businesses, including those from Can Tho, would actively participate and forge partnerships with key stakeholders.

In his meeting with Hilarion Etong, Chairman Man expressed gratitude for the APF President’s support in hosting the APF Executive Committee meeting and the Parliamentary Forum on Francophone cooperation.

He praised Hilarion Etong’s leadership in steering the APF toward greater parliamentary diplomacy and carrying out the 2020–2030 strategic framework.

Man reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to its traditional friendship and cooperation with Cameroon, acknowledging its economic achievements as the largest economy in Central Africa and a leader in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). He proposed stronger bilateral ties in economy, trade, investment, and agriculture while intensifying delegation exchanges and cooperation in multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Francophonie.

Acknowledging the modest bilateral economic and trade ties, he suggested both sides improve market connectivity and information sharing to unlock their potential, particularly in agriculture. He pledged Vietnam’s readiness to collaborate with Cameroon in seeking third-party funding for trilateral agricultural development projects in Cameroon. He also urged the swift resumption of negotiations on key agreements, such as investment protection and double taxation avoidance in a bid to establish a legal framework for bilateral cooperation.

Chairman Man emphasized the importance of parliamentary cooperation ina advancing bilateral and multilateral ties. He proposed forming a Vietnam-Cameroon Parliamentary Friendship Group and boosting exchanges between young and female parliamentarians.

Hilarion Etong lauded Vietnam’s thorough preparations for the APF Executive Committee meeting and the forum. He highlighted the critical role of sustainable agriculture in ensuring food security and adapting to climate change and applauded Vietnam’s achievements in rice production and food security.

He fully agreed with Chairman Man’s proposals for cooperation and acknowledged Vietnam’s positive contribution to the APF since joining in 1974. He expressed confidence that the Can Tho Declaration would be widely supported and serve as a historic milestone in the APF’s development.

On this occasion, the APF President conveyed greetings from Cameroon’s NA President to Chairman Tran Thanh Man.